Football Mar 16, 2026

Fulham 2-1 Tottenham: Spurs' relegation fears deepen as new boss Igor Tudor loses first two games in charge

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By Admin
Sports Journalist
Fulham 2-1 Tottenham: Spurs' relegation fears deepen as new boss Igor Tudor loses first two games in charge

Tottenham’s relegation fears deepened after a 2-1 defeat at Fulham equalled their longest Premier League winless run.

Spurs substitute Richarlison gave the visitors hope of a second-half comeback, but first-half goals from Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi meant Tottenham are now without victory in 10 top-flight games.

Spurs, who are winless in 2026 and have lost four consecutive league games, remain 16th and just four points above the drop zone with 10 games left.

Spurs' loss in west London highlights the huge job new head coach Igor Tudor has on his hands as he became just the second Tottenham boss to lose his first two games in charge.

But Fulham are heading in the opposite direction under Marco Silva, with the Cottagers firmly in the hunt for a European spot after back-to-back wins put them ninth.

Fulham should have won more comfortably after Emile Smith Rowe missed two glorious second-half chances, but they survived a nervy ending set up by Richarlison's 66th-minute header.

Tudor went 4-4-2 in west London, but Fulham immediately preyed on Tottenham's vulnerability as Wilson struck a seventh-minute opener.

Spurs were unhappy with the goal as they felt Radu Dragusin was pushed in the back by Fulham striker Raul Jimenez in the build-up to the goal, but VAR deemed the contact "did not meet the threshold for a foul".

Tottenham's nightmare first half, in which they failed to have a shot on target, worsened when Iwobi hit a superb 34th-minute goal as he arrowed a ball from distance into the bottom far corner off the post.

Spurs substitutes Mathys Tel and Richarlison sparked a second-half improvement from Tudor's side as the former set Archie Gray up for his cross that led to Richarlison's goal.

But Tottenham's wretched form continues, having now won only two of their last 19 Premier League matches.

Tottenham head coach Igor Tudor speaking at his post-match press conference:

"It's a complicated situation. A lot of problems. I cannot tell you nothing new. We need to find forces inside each of us. I said to the players. It's always what you are going to do. What do you want to do with yourself? More personality. More wish to do before reacting. Plenty of things.

"We lack when we attack. We are lacking the quality to score the goal. We are lacking in the middle to run. We are lacking behind to stay there and suffer and not concede the goal. An amazing situation."

On which players he can rely on: "The situation was complicated because we know how many players are coming back. One thing is that you have a complete team that you can choose. One situation is that you cannot choose because you need to choose the quality to score the goal.

"You need to have quality players to score the goal; otherwise, you cannot defend all the time. But when you are in a bad moment, you put the players, but then you lack defending, running and winning the duels. So, what to do? That's the big question in the future. To choose what is right for this team. To find a formula, what we want to be, what we can be in this moment.

"So that's very difficult to understand, because you get the quality, but also football is a sport of running and duels. I have a sensation that Fulham players always arrived before. Even with the brain, they arrived before us. They predict - we are always late."

Fulham head coach Marco Silva speaking at his post-match press conference

"Of course, the result, I believe the three points we deserve it. In terms of the score, it should be different, with the amount of chances we created.

"In the first half, we were clinical, and we punished them. The number of moments we had in the second half to score, clear chances to score the third goal and kill the game completely - and we didn't, that is the reality.

"Any time at a level that you are playing with individual quality on the side, they can punish you, which is what Richarlison did in that moment.

"But great performance from us. I really believe the way we were able to control the game, create the chances, the dynamic we put in our offensive organisation was top. It was a good one, and I think we controlled very well the more physicality from them, the two strikers, the channel balls and the runs in behind, I think we did control very, very well.

"The only thing is about the score, that doesn't reflect our superiority on the pitch. But we are very pleased with the performance, with another three points and we move on."

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